To the Editor:
In 2017, the Inland Wetlands Agency of East Lyme unanimously denied an application presented by Joe Wren of Indigo Land Design for a 25-lot subdivision built on a parcel of property abutting Four Mile River and consisting mostly of wetlands. The five-page denial details the many reasons this application would likely have an adverse impact on the wetlands and watercourses. It discusses the hazards of groundwater pollution, questions the capability of the proposed septic systems to successfully remediate nutrients or pollutants, challenges the efficiency of the proposed stormwater management measures, and points out that the proposed activities would make it less likely for the existing wetlands to perform as a vernal pool where they exist, among other important environmental concerns.
In 2018, a new plan has been proposed and will be presented to the Inland Wetlands Commission on Monday, June 25, at 7 pm at East Lyme Town Hall. The new plan is for a 23-lot subdivision that seeks to address the concerns of the previous denial without fully addressing many of the issues noted by the previous commission. This new plan will be presented to a commission consisting of a new Chair and new Vice Chair, as the Chairwoman who led the commission during the denial was told her seat would not be renewed.
The new plan does not protect this valuable natural resource. We hope that people will come express their concerns at the public meeting on June 25th. For more information visit: https://www.facebook.com/
Sincerely,
Nancy Barwikowski,
East Lyme.